Nokia 1616-2 Imei Change Code

Before you proceed further, understand the penalties for changing a Nokia 1616-2 IMEI without authorization:

There is no "secret code" because Nokia lawyers ensured that no product manager would ever allow such a code to exist.

From an ethical standpoint, the IMEI is a public‑good mechanism: Nokia 1616-2 Imei Change Code

Manipulating this identifier for personal gain—whether to evade a blocked device, conceal ownership of a stolen phone, or “improve” privacy—undermines the very purposes it serves. Ethical technology use encourages transparent, lawful, and responsible interactions with hardware identifiers.

If you bypass the keypad and search for hardware or software solutions, you will find three methods. Warning: Do not attempt these unless you are a qualified repair technician with legal approval. Before you proceed further, understand the penalties for

If you purchased a cheap Nokia 1616-2 and discovered it is blacklisted (reported stolen), the IMEI is blocked by carriers. Changing the IMEI is a crime to "launder" the stolen device. Do not do this. Return the phone to the police.

Advanced users dump the phone's full firmware (a .bin or .hex file), edit the IMEI string using a hexadecimal editor like HxD, recalculate the XOR checksum, and reflash the phone via a UART cable. One wrong bit, and you have an expensive plastic brick. There is no "secret code" because Nokia lawyers

Some versions of the Nokia 1616-2 firmware (very specific revisions, usually engineering samples) have a hidden menu. You access it via *#3646633# or *#*#3646633#*#* (MTK engineering code). If this works on your device, you navigate to: Connectivity -> CDS Information -> Radio Information -> Phone 1 Here, you type AT+EGMR=1,7,"NEW_IMEI_HERE". This is an AT command (Hayes command set). However, on 99% of Nokia 1616-2 retail units, this command returns an "Error" because the NV-RAM is locked.